


Blood and Thirium

by rewild



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Murder, Protective Gavin Reed, Soft Gavin Reed, i don't know how to tag sorry, this is my first fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26539090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rewild/pseuds/rewild
Summary: When Gavin discovers that Connor's being harassed at work, he puts their differences aside and stands up for the android. This simple act leads to the beginnings of a friendship, and maybe something more. Meanwhile, there's a murderer on the loose who's killing humans and androids who dare to have relationships. The post-revolution world is a mess, and Gavin is still learning to navigate it. But now it seems he won't be alone...
Relationships: Connor & Gavin Reed, Connor/Gavin Reed, Hank Anderson & Connor
Comments: 17
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! This is my very first fanfic, ever, so please have mercy haha. I'm still learning the ins and outs of posting on AO3, so sorry if I messed up tagging or anything. If you like my work, please leave kudos and comments! Or even if you have constructive feedback, I'd love comments too! I just want to share my love of the DBH game and its characters <3 I hope you all enjoy the story!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin has a case to solve, but he's distracted by a workplace dispute. Can he put his differences with Connor aside and do what's right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! We get a first glimpse at protective Gavin in this chapter <3 there's more to come, don't worry! Kudos and comments are much appreciated!

This may surprise those who knew him, given how often he was up early, but Gavin was in fact, not a morning person. It was seven am and he was feeling it. He glowered at anyone who passed by his desk as he sipped on his piping hot coffee and pondered the case files in front of him. He was working on a homicide with one human victim, one android. He hadn’t had a break in the case in a few days, and it was starting to keep him up at night. 

Gavin reviewed the files again. The victims' names were Sarah Jacobs and Matthew, an android. They had been involved romantically. Both found dead in their shared apartment, shot in the back of the head while kneeling in front of the sofa. The apparent randomness of the crime was brutal, really. There weren’t any solid leads so far. The CCTV in the apartment complex was out, so there was no footage to review. The neighbor had called 911 after hearing the gunshots but hadn’t gotten a look at any intruder. It had all the appearances of a hate crime committed simply for the offense of being in a relationship. The revolution may have been six months ago but that didn’t mean the world was full of love and peace and hippie shit, Gavin thought. Too bad. The world could use a little hippie shit now and again.

By the time he’d finished going over the files, his coffee had gone cold. Gavin hated cold coffee. He sighed and got up to go to the break room for a refill. He arrived just in time to see a rookie gripping Connor by the collar and shoving him against a wall. Connor seemed totally calm, with only the occasional yellow spin of his LED giving him away. 

“You walk around like you fucking own the place. Well guess what? You’re nothing but a pile of scrap metal at best, just waiting to be taken to the dump. You may as well just fucking deactivate before someone does it for you.” 

Gavin had had enough. 

“Oi! Carlisle! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He stalked towards the pair gripping his empty coffee mug tightly in his hand. Carlisle eased his grip on Connor’s collar but didn’t let go entirely. 

“Reed!,” he greeted, not seeming concerned in the slightest. “I’m just telling Connor what we really think of him around the station. Don’t want him getting too… comfortable.” The rookie sneered at Connor, whose LED had been spinning a solid yellow since Gavin entered the room.

“Get your fucking hands off of him,” Gavin said lowly, setting his coffee mug on the counter. Carlisle frowned. 

“Since when are you on their side, Reed? Not too long ago you tried to break this piece of plastic for good. Or have you forgotten?” 

Gavin didn’t waste any more time talking and shoved the younger officer off of Connor. 

“I said get your hands off him!” Gavin repeated, standing between Connor and Carlisle. 

Shit, what was he doing? Why was he even getting involved? Didn’t matter now, it was too late. He was already in this deep, he might as well follow through. Carlisle shook his head, looking between Gavin and Connor. 

“Too bad. I thought you were on our side. Your loss.” Carlisle turned on his heel and left the break room. Gavin heaved a sigh, glad it hadn’t gotten any more violent. He turned to check on Connor, who was brushing himself off. 

“I’m fine, Detective, before you say anything. And I could’ve handled that myself, though I do appreciate your intervention. If I may ask, what caused you to try and stop him?” 

Gavin shrugged. “He shouldn’t have been talking to you like that.” Connor side eyed him, clearly thinking about all the times Gavin had spoken to him ‘like that’ but not bringing them up.

“Well, thank you Detective. Your help is appreciated. I’ve got to get back to work now.” Connor moved to pick up a coffee mug from under the coffee machine, which was still hot. Gavin assumed it was for Hank. 

“Yeah, yeah, me too.” Gavin wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to press the issue of the attack. On one hand, this was Connor, who could obviously take care of himself. On the other hand, he could tell something wasn’t right and that didn’t sit well with him. “Hey, um… does that sorta shit, y’know, happen to you often?,” he asked, scratching the back of his head. 

Connor looked away, LED blinking yellow before going back to blue. “It’s not important. I don’t let it affect my performance.” 

Gavin snorted. “Fuck your performance. I’m talking about you. That shit’s not okay.” Connor gave him a look of disbelief. “Don’t look at me like that, I know I’ve been a dick to you before, but I’ve… I don’t fucking do that shit anymore. How often do you get treated like that nowadays?” 

Connor was quiet for a minute.

“There’s at least one incident every day. But again, I am looking to minimize conflict and…”

“Every day?! Does Hank know about this?” Gavin yelled, leading Connor to shush him placatingly. 

“The Lieutenant does not know, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. You know how he is. He can be a bit… abrasive at times. I don’t want him trying to take on the entire precinct for my sake.” 

Gavin crossed his arms, glaring at Connor. 

“Well, if you’re not going to stand up for yourself, someone has to! And if you won’t let it be Hank, I guess it falls to me, seeing as I’m the only other one who knows you’re even being harassed.” Gavin felt like he couldn’t control what he was saying. The words just spilled out. He’d never done something like this before, and the logical side of his brain screamed at him to stop talking. He pushed on, however, because he couldn’t just let Connor deal with this bullshit alone. He was a good guy and as much as he hated to admit it, he deserved better. 

Connor blinked, seemingly processing what Gavin just said. 

“You… want to help me? Why? No offense, Detective, but I was under the impression that you hated me.” 

“Yeah, don’t get used to it, Barbie. But nobody should be treated like dirt at their own workplace. I’ll keep an eye out for you. I know you can take care of yourself. Hell, you’ve kicked my ass before. But you’ve got backup, you hear me?” 

Fuck, what was he saying? The android was going to get the wrong idea. He was going to think he actually liked him or something. Gavin mentally berated himself, but stopped immediately as Connor smiled brightly. God, that smile made his stomach flutter. Really, what was he thinking?

“I hear you, Detective. Thank you. Your support is much appreciated.” On that note, Connor took his mug and exited the break room, leaving Gavin wondering what the hell just happened. He sighed, and went over to the coffee machine to get that refill he’d originally been coming to get. It was too damn early for this shit. And he had a case to solve.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A second murder bolsters the case, and Gavin stands up for Connor again. Then he has an internal crisis about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I write a dialogue. Thank you for all the comments and kudos! Again this is literally my first fanfic ever so I really appreciate every bit of feedback <33 Let me know what you think! Also, Gavin has a cat and her name is Haley and she's precious.

The next day, Gavin tried his best to keep a watchful eye on Connor whenever he could. It was hard, given the amount of work he had to do on the case and how much Connor kept moving around. He’d all but given up come 6 o’clock when the call came in that there’d been another murder. He sighed, grabbed his leather jacket and his keys, and headed out to his truck. He jumped in the driver’s seat and headed to the location given. 

Upon arriving, he noted that Connor and Hank were already there, judging by the Crown Vic sat on the curb. He parked his truck and got out. A light rain was falling from the sky. Several officers were huddled under a canopy trying to keep themselves warm and dry. Gavin frowned at the loitering officers as he slid through the crowd to get to the center of the action. Chris, Connor and Hank were gathered at the back of the alleyway. On the wet pavement lay two bodies. Blood and thirium painted the wall to the right. 

“Right, so what’ve we got?” Gavin asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

Chris looked up and gave him a grim smile. “According to his ID, the human is Nathaniel Moore. Connor’s facial recognition indicates that the android is Alicia, an ST300. I arrived on the scene only about half an hour ago while doing my regular patrol route. I heard the shots a few blocks down and hustled over here to find them. The thirium is still visible, so the murder can’t have happened long ago.” 

Connor hummed, “The time of death is 5:24 pm. You must’ve just missed the killer, Chris.”

Gavin rubbed his hands down his face. “Fuck. Have the officers canvas the area, then.”

Hank snorted. “Already done, Reed. Anything else to add?” 

Gavin grit his teeth and knelt down to look at the bodies. They appeared to have been shot in the back of the head while kneeling facing the wall. Their hands were still tangled together, as if they had been holding hands when they died. 

Connor spoke up, “I was unable to access Alicia’s memory files. She had sustained too much damage.” 

“Well no wonder, her head’s all blown to shit,” Gavin said irritably, “Do we have any witnesses? Maybe somebody from the bar I passed on the way here? They could’ve come from there. Their hands are stamped.” 

“I’ll send an officer down there,” Chris said, but Hank interrupted. “Don’t bother, I’ll go myself. C’mon, Connor.” 

Connor gave the lieutenant a half smile and said, “I’ll be right behind you, Hank. Just give me another moment here. I’d like to run one last preconstruction.” Hank nodded and turned around to walk down the street towards the Bittersweet Lounge. Connor crouched down again besides Gavin and looked the grisly sight up and down. 

Gavin shook his head, “Another android-human pair found murdered. Same M.O. It was probably another hate crime. I hope there’s some witnesses, because I hate to say it, but this could be just the break in the case I need.” 

Connor nodded. “I agree, Detective. As sad as their deaths are, this could help us catch the killer, if indeed the two murders are related.” He stood slowly, brushing his hands off on his pants. “Well, I’m off to the Lounge with Hank. Good luck, Detective.” 

Connor walked down the alleyway towards the other officers. On his way, he passed the rookie who’d been bothering him at the station. As Gavin watched, Officer Carlisle shoulder checked Connor. 

“Fucking androids, always in the way. Why do we even keep you around, huh?”

“Watch where you’re going, prick!” Gavin said loud enough for the junior officer to hear. Carlisle glared at Gavin, who glowered right back. 

Connor looked between the two of them in bewilderment. “Sorry, Officer,” he says, “It seems I wasn’t looking where I was going.” 

“Bullshit,” said Gavin, “You were fine. Officer Dickweed here was just trying to give you a hard time. He should be the one apologizing.” At this point, they’d gained the attention of all the other officers on the scene, and Carlisle seemed to be growing embarrassed being the center of attention. He shuffled his feet, muttering a barely intelligible apology to Connor before spinning around and continuing where he was going.

Gavin walked up to Connor, who stared at him like a deer in the headlights. 

“You didn’t have to do that, Detective,” Connor started. 

Gavin cut him off. “Yeah, yeah, I know, but this is your crime scene and he shouldn’t be able to treat you like shit. You can thank me later, Barbie. Now get going to that bar before Hank rips me a new one for keeping you so late.” 

Connor’s LED flashed yellow as he scanned Gavin. “I can’t seem to figure you out, Detective. But thank you.” With that, Connor left the darkening alleyway and headed down the street. 

Gavin let out a harsh breath. He’d done it again. He really was taking this ‘standing up for Connor’ thing seriously, wasn’t he? He hadn’t even meant to start doing it, and now it was a thing. He guessed there were worse things he could be doing. It was a start to making up for his previous behavior towards Connor, anyway. The android wasn’t half bad and he wasn’t kidding when he said nobody deserved to be treated like shit in their own workplace. 

Turning around, he headed back to the crime scene to finish cataloguing the evidence and taking his notes. He wanted to get home as soon as possible, as it had been a long day already. Before he could get started he heard Chris calling his name. 

“Hey Gavin! What was that about with Connor and Carlisle back there? It seemed to get you pretty riled up.” 

Gavin sighed. “Is it really any of your fucking business, Chris?” 

“It is when you’re shouting at people in the middle of a crime scene. What happened?” 

“The rookie was bothering Connor so I told him to fuck off. Connor’s too nice to say it. Somebody has to keep the amateurs in line.” 

Chris gave him an appraising look and Gavin glared at him. “What? Is it so out of character for me to yell at someone that I deserve that look?”

Chris laughed. “No, it’s completely in character. The only difference is that you’re yelling on behalf of someone else. That part’s new.” 

“Fuck off Chris. I have a crime scene to document.” 

He got back to the scene, zoning out a little while taking his notes. Next thing he knew, someone was trying to get his attention. 

“Gavin! Gavin! Shit, it’s like talking to a brick wall.” 

“Huh? Oh sorry, what was that Hank?” Gavin asked. 

Hank smirked. “There you are. I wanted to tell you what Connor and I found at the Bittersweet Lounge. We talked to a couple witnesses. The vics were definitely at the bar. Apparently Nathaniel was there with some friends, who we haven’t been able to locate yet. Hopefully we can bring them in tomorrow for questioning. Alicia was there seemingly alone. They were flirting and ended up leaving the bar together. Apparently they didn’t make it far.”

Connor piped up from behind Hank, “They must’ve been headed to Nathaniel’s apartment, as he lived in this direction from the bar. Alicia’s apartment is on the other side of town.”

Gavin took a moment to process all of the new information. So they had been a couple. Or at least on their way to being one. That more concretely relates this case to the Jacobs-Matthew murder. Two human-android couples murdered within a week in a similar manner. Right… he’d better find this sick fuck before they kill again. 

He rubbed his hands down his face. “Okay. Thanks Hank, Connor. I’m just wrapping things up here then I’m headed home. I’ll see you guys at the station tomorrow.” 

Gavin was one of the last ones to leave the crime scene. He was exhausted from working a 15 hour shift that day. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he pulled into his driveway. He got out of the truck and trudged up the front walk. As he opened the door, he was assaulted by a yowling wreck of a cat. She attacked his feet, biting at his shoe laces. 

“Fuck off, Haley, you’re going to trip me!” Gavin swore as he tried not to step on his preoccupied pet. He threw his keys in a bowl on the table in the entryway and bent down to scoop up the chubby calico. She immediately started chewing on his fingers. 

“Ow! God, you’re such a bitch. Why do I put up with you?” He tossed her down on the rug.

Gavin’s mind was whirling as he fed Haley her dinner. When Connor had encountered trouble again, he hadn’t even hesitated to jump to his defense. What was going on with him? Connor could stand up for himself, surely. He didn’t need Gavin of all people fighting his battles. And yet… it felt kind of right. He hadn’t always been on good terms with Connor. He wouldn’t even necessarily say they were much more than acquaintances or co-workers right now. Friendly, maybe, but not friends. But he had a lot of past misgivings to make up for. Before the revolution, he had been a real shithead to androids, particularly Connor. Hell, he nearly killed him once. 

Was he trying to get Connor’s forgiveness? Maybe. Either way, he had to admit that it felt good to be nice to Connor. It felt right. Weird, but right. Maybe they could be friends eventually…? Or was that asking too much? 

As he was thinking he made himself a microwave meal. Haley was happily chowing down on her kibble. Gavin sat at the kitchen table as the microwave spun. Does he want to be friends with Connor? What was the world coming to that he would be friends with an android? There’s just something about Connor, something that draws him in. He’d rather die than admit that to anyone but it’s true. 

The microwave beeped. He ate as his thoughts swirled through his mind. If someone had told him a year ago that he’d be considering being close with Connor, he would’ve spit in their face. Yet here he was, wondering pathetically if Connor would be friends with him. What was wrong with him? Of course Connor didn’t want to be friends with him. He’d been nothing but an asshole to the android. The least he can do was make sure no one’s roughing him up around the station anymore. 

He goes to sleep that night thinking about a certain pair of brown eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Connor get a lead and visit the Bittersweet Lounge together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tina and Gavin are best friends and you can't convince me otherwise.

Gavin woke up late and barely had time to take a shower. He fed Haley in a rush, ignoring her cries for attention. He jumped in his truck and sped to the station, arriving a full seventeen minutes late. Fowler was going to kill him. 

When he got to the station it was already bustling with officers and staff. Gavin tried to nonchalantly slide to his desk, but no such luck.

“Reed! Get your ass in here!”

Gavin groaned. He turned around and headed up the stairs to Fowler’s office. Once inside, he turned to the captain and spread his hands. 

“What’d I do this time?”

“You know damn well what you did. It’s twenty past seven. I’m running a police precinct, not a children’s school. I can’t have you showing up whenever you’d like. You have to be on time, Reed!”

“Yeah, yeah, I fucking know. Look, it was a mistake, I won’t make a habit of it alright? Was that the only reason you called me in here?”

Fowler sighed. “No, it wasn’t. The case you’re working on, with Nathaniel Moore and Alicia? Moore’s friends have been located and are being brought in for questioning today around twelve o’clock. I need you to be on your game. We have a potential for a serial killer on the loose, and it’s up to us to find them and shut them down. I’m counting on you. And don’t be fucking late again.”

Gavin mock-saluted with a chipper, “Sir, yes sir!” as Fowler rolled his eyes and shooed him out. He shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled over to the coffee machine to get his first caffeine fix of the morning, since he hadn’t had time to make a coffee at home. 

Tina was waiting at the machine when he got there. 

“Hey, Gavin. You look rough. Up late last night?” When the machine finished her coffee, she passed it to him before moving to make herself another one. 

“Thanks, Tina, you’re a lifesaver. Yeah, I couldn’t sleep. It was a long day and a tough case. I’ve got a lot on my mind. Then I was late this morning so now Fowler’s on my ass.” Gavin leaned against the counter as he stirred in two creams, three sugars. 

“I heard about the case you’re working on. Chris told me about it. Two murders so far with the same M.O., right? He said Fowler’s suspecting a serial killer targeting androids and their partners.”

“Yeah, that’s basically what we’ve got. I’m trying to figure out how the cases are connected. The second human victim’s friends are coming in today for questioning. Hopefully one of them noticed something useful that we can use for the case.” Gavin nursed his coffee distractedly as he talked to Tina.

Tina looked him up and down appraisingly. “Are you sure it’s just the case that’s on your mind? You seem more out of it than usual. What’s going on?” 

“What? Shut up, it’s just the case. I’m fine.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain handsome android detective, would it?” Tina asked in an amused voice.

Gavin choked on his coffee. “I- wh- how- NO! Of course not! I told you, I’m just really focused on the case! Why are you even bringing up Connor?” 

Tina raised an eyebrow. “So you do admit that Connor is handsome?” 

Gavin gritted his teeth. Talking to her was impossible. 

“I never said that. It’s just there’s only one android Detective in the department that you could’ve been referring to.”

Tina laughed, “I’m just teasing you, Gavin. God, you look like you’re going to shit yourself. It’s just I saw you get between Officer Carlisle and Connor the other day, and Chris said you yelled at Carlisle when he tried to bully Connor at the crime scene yesterday. It seems like you’re trying to help him out with whatever’s going on with him and Carlisle. I’m nosy and I want details.”

Gavin glared daggers at Tina. “There’s no details to get. Get your little nose out of my business. Fuck off, Tina. Thanks for the coffee.” He turned on his heel and went back to his desk. 

“You’re welcome!” Tina yelled after him. Gavin flipped her off over his shoulder without turning around. 

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of paperwork and caffeine. Before he knew it, Chris was coming up to him to say three of Moore’s friends had arrived, and the first of them was waiting in room one for questioning. 

Gavin gathered up his things and proceeded to the interrogation room to talk to the man. Pushing open the door, he was greeted with the sight of a tall, thin young man who seemed to be entirely full of nervous energy. He was bouncing his leg and his eyes kept darting around the room.

“Good morning…” Gavin looked down at his notes, “Mr. Robinson. My name is Detective Reed and I’d like to ask you a few questions about the night of your friend Nathaniel’s death.” 

The young man burst into tears. Fuck, he did not get paid enough to deal with this shit. 

Neither of the first two young men had anything useful to share. According to them, it had been a normal night out with the guys. It wasn’t uncommon for Nathaniel, or “Nate,” to leave early with a date, and it still wasn’t uncommon for that date to be an android. They couldn’t remember anything suspicious happening at or before the bar, and Alicia had seemed nice enough. They were utterly unhelpful. Gavin was getting frustrated. 

But the third young man was a different story. At least someone out of the group had been paying attention, Gavin thought. Jack Houston was the last of Nate’s friends to be interrogated and he recalled the night in detail. 

“We arrived at the Bittersweet Lounge at about four pm. It was an early night for us, but we all had work in the morning so we didn’t want to be out too late. Nate met Alicia about half an hour in and they immediately hit it off. They were flirting pretty openly, which would normally be fine, y’know, because the Lounge is a very android friendly bar. But there was this guy who seemed to have a problem with it, I guess? He got in Alicia’s face once she started talking to Nate and started calling her all these nasty names. Of course, Nate stood up for her and told the creep to back off. The man called him a “robot-fucker” and told him he’d be sorry he ever met that girl. Then he left I guess. Nate and Alicia left pretty soon after that. Then a few hours later we got the call that Nate had been killed…” 

Gavin internally sighed. He didn’t want to deal with another man crying. But Jack seemed to hold it together. Gavin stood up. 

“Thank you, Mr. Houston, you’ve been very helpful. I appreciate your time. You may leave.” 

Once he was alone, he thought about what Jack had told him. The ‘creepy guy’ was the only lead they had so far. He could go down to the Bittersweet Lounge and check out their CCTV and try to identify the man through surveillance footage. But how would he identify him? He could ask Connor… the guy had facial recognition software in his brain. Would Connor want to go with him? Gavin guessed there’s only one way to find out. 

He left the interrogation room and approached Connor’s desk. The android was leaning back in his chair with his eyes shut, seemingly deep in thought. Gavin stood at his desk and awkwardly cleared his throat. Connor’s eyes shot open. 

“Hello, Detective! What can I help you with?”

“Hey, Connor. I was actually wondering if I could get your help with something. I have to go down to the Bittersweet Lounge and check over their surveillance cameras for footage of one particular guy who may be a lead. I was hoping you’d come along with me since, y’know, you have facial recognition stuff that could be useful in picking him out on screen.”

Connor sat up straight. “Of course I’ll be able to assist you, Detective.” He stood, grabbing his coat.

Connor turned to Hank, who’d been watching them curiously throughout the whole exchange. “Hank, I will be going with Detective Reed to help him search for a suspect at the Bittersweet Lounge. Will you be needing me?” 

Hank glared at Gavin, but turned to Connor with a smile on his face. “No, Connor, I don’t need your help right now. Go have fun.” 

Connor smiled, walking past the lieutenant’s desk towards the door. As Gavin went to follow, Hank pulled him back by the arm. 

“Don’t do anything to hurt him, or I will make you regret it.” 

Gavin gave his best convincing smile. 

“Don’t worry Hank, I’m not out to hurt your boy. I just need his help, that’s all.”

Hank let go of his arm, giving a sharp nod. Gavin followed Connor, who'd been waiting for him by the door with a sympathetic smile. 

“Don’t mind the Lieutenant. He can be a bit overprotective at times. He means well.” 

Gavin let out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I understand where he’s coming from. Anyway, you need a little protection now and again. You have no sense of self-preservation.” 

Connor eyed him curiously. “If you say so, Detective.” 

The ride to the bar was short and awkwardly quiet. Gavin kept trying to think of ways to make conversation, then second-guessing himself and deciding it was best to stay silent. Connor fiddled with his coin throughout the whole drive. They arrived quickly and went to the front entrance. It was locked, but the lights inside were on. Gavin rapped his knuckles on the glass door and waited. 

Before long, a man came to the door and unlocked it. He poked his head out. 

“Sorry, but we’re closed right now.” 

Gavin showed his badge “DPD. We’d like to ask you a few questions if you have a moment.” The man’s eyes widened and he opened the door a little wider. 

“Sure, come on in. I’m just cleaning up.” Gavin and Connor followed him inside. The man went behind the bar and picked up a rag, beginning to wipe down the counter. “My name’s Dillon. How can I help you gentlemen today?” 

Gavin leaned his arms against the bar, hands folded. “I’m Detective Reed, and this is Detective Anderson. We’re investigating the murders of Nathaniel Moore and Alicia. This bar was the last place they were seen before they were killed. We’d like to see your surveillance footage if possible to see if we spot anything suspicious.” 

“Yeah, of course. The computers are just in this room back here.” Dillon gestured to a door behind the counter. 

Gavin and Connor followed Dillon around the counter into the back room. Dillon logged into a computer and booted up a screen with a bunch of camera views on it. 

“Here you are. Just let me know if you need anything.” Gavin waved him off and sat down in the chair in front of the computer. Connor leaned over the back of the chair to look over his shoulder. 

“If you’ll allow me, Detective, I can interface with the machine and pull up the night we are looking for.” 

“Yeah, sure, go ahead tin can.”

Connor extended his hand, retracting his skin to expose the white chassis. He pressed his hand to the computer screen for a few seconds. The images on the screen changed, the date reading the same as the night of the murder. Gavin leaned forward, inspecting the monitor. Connor pointed to a face on the screen. 

“That’s Nathaniel and his friend Jack. Over there approaching them is Alicia.” 

“Alright, let’s see if we can find the creepy guy Jack was talking about.” They watched the screen as Alicia approached Nate and they began chatting. Half an hour went by before a man approached the pair and began gesturing wildly and giving them dirty looks. 

“That might be our guy. Can you identify him?”

“Of course I can, Detective. Frank Lanciano, age thirty two. Previous criminal charges of aggravated assault towards an android. He is well known on social media for his anti-android views.”

Gavin whistled. “That’s pretty suspicious. We should definitely bring him in for questioning. Let’s keep watching the footage to see what he does.” As they watched, Nate stood up for Alicia and Frank stormed off in a huff. He left the bar and showed up on a different camera screen, one that points outside the back door of the Lounge. It appeared that Frank had gone outside for a smoke. Alicia and Nate immediately left the bar and disappeared from view on the cameras. 

“Detective, while Lanciano may be a lead, it appears that he is not our killer. According to this surveillance footage, he can be placed at the bar at the time of the murders. See, he goes back inside after a five minute smoke break and appears on the inside cameras again up until six thirty that evening.” 

Gavin rubbed his hands down his face. “Yeah, I see that. Still, he could’ve had a partner, or he could know something about their deaths. Asides from Nate’s friends, he’s the last person they interacted with, and it was aggressive. That’s enough to make me have reservations. I think we should call him in for questioning. He’s our only lead so far.” 

Connor hummed in agreement. “I’ll contact Fowler and have him called in for questioning.” 

“Thanks, tin can.” 

With that, they headed out of the control room and back into the Lounge. Dillon looked up as they walked in and smiled at Gavin. “Detectives! Did you find anything useful, I hope?” 

“We did. Thank you for your cooperation, Dillon. You’ve been very helpful,” said Connor. 

Dillon shifted his gaze over to Connor and gave him a brief, but odd look. Gavin wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was a quick flash of something like distaste. Then he smiled brightly again. “Thank you, Detective Anderson. I’m happy to be of service. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you gentlemen.” 

“There’s nothing else at the moment.” Gavin handed him his card. “Please be in touch if you think of anything else.” 

“I will. Have a nice evening!” 

With that, Gavin and Connor left the bar and returned to the outside world. 

“What did you make of Dillon, Connor?” 

Connor’s LED spun as he took out his coin to fidget with. “He was polite. Useful. No previous arrests. Why do you ask?” 

“I dunno, he gave me a weird feeling. He looked at you funny. Can’t say I liked it.”

Connor chuckled. “I think I can handle someone ‘looking at me funny,’ Detective Reed. I appreciate your concern, however. Dillon is just a bartender. A helpful one, at that.” 

“Alright, whatever you say, Barbie.” 

The ride back to the station was similarly quiet, but distinctly less awkward than the ride to the bar. This was fine by Gavin. He’d take what he could get.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Connor interview their suspect and it goes sideways. That evening, Gavin has a breakthrough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting! I got sick for a couple weeks and I'm still recovering. Also, I forgot to mention this previously but shoutout to Cal for beta reading my fic!

Gavin and Connor arrived back at the station in good time. Upon arriving they parted ways, as they had a few hours to kill. Gavin went back to his mound of paperwork and Connor went back to his desk. As Gavin watched, Hank clapped Connor on the shoulder and greeted him with a smile. Gavin shook his head. Anderson was too attached to the damn android. 

A few hours passed in monotony before Chris came up and informed him that Frank Lanciano had arrived and was in room two for questioning. As Gavin got up, Connor looked up from across the bullpen. 

“Has he been brought in yet?” 

“Yeah, he’s waiting for us now. D’ya want to help me question him?”

“Yes, I believe I would. Thank you, Detective.” Connor paused and gathered up his things. 

“I’ll come along too and watch, if you don’t mind,” Hank spoke up.

They both stood, following Gavin to the interrogation room. 

Gavin looked in the window to see a short, mousy haired man leaning back in his chair. He seemed calm and utterly unconcerned about his whereabouts. Gavin sighed, holding the door open for Connor before going into the room himself. He pulled out a chair and sat down next to Connor. 

“Hello, Mr. Lanciano. My name is Detective Reed and this is Detective Anderson. We have some questions for you regarding the murder of Nathaniel Moore and Alicia.”

Lanciano grunted. “I don’t even know who those people are. Whoever they are, you’ve got the wrong guy. I didn’t do nothing.” His eyes locked on Connor’s LED. “Shit, is that an android? You brought me in here with a fucking piece of plastic? I don’t want to be in the same room as one of these pieces of garbage. It’s leaving or I am.” 

Gavin’s eyes narrowed. “We’re not here to talk about Detective Anderson. We’re here to talk about you.” He slid two photos across the table. “Do you recognize these people?” 

“I’m not answering anything while that freak of nature is sitting here staring at me. It’s an abomination and I refuse to cooperate with it’s handler.”

Connor’s LED spun a rapid yellow. Gavin’s patience was wearing thin. 

Connor spoke up, “Mr. Lanciano, we just have a few questions for you. Then you are free to leave. Do you recognize the people in these photos?” 

“Tell us now, before things get really difficult for you.” Gavin added.

“Difficult? Do you know how difficult things have been for me since those hunks of plastic started walking around? I lost my job! I lost everything and it’s all because of those monsters! And look at you! You’re sitting here working with one like it’s no big deal. Do you realize that that thing is going to steal your job? You won’t be so high and mighty then. Do yourself a favor and take it to one of the back rooms and put a bullet through its computer brain while you can.”

Gavin stood up and slammed his hands down on the table, making both Connor and Lanciano jump. 

“Shut the fuck up! You don’t even know what you’re talking about!” He pointed a finger at the angry suspect. “I used to be like you, but I have a brain and I used it. Androids are as alive as you or I, so you better fucking get used to it. They all deserve to be treated fairly, not to be shit on by the likes of you. The only monster in this room is the scumbag who’d shoot someone over a fucking job. Now, will you answer the goddamn question?”

At this point, the door opened and Hank walked in. 

“Reed. Connor. Out.” Gavin stormed out of the interrogation room, red-faced and angry. Connor followed quickly behind. 

Slamming the door, Gavin spun around. “How could you let him talk about you like that? You just sat there and took it! Doesn’t that shit make you angry?” 

Connor looked at him sharply. 

“Detective, you shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. We could’ve gotten something out of him had you kept your temper. There’s no need to go yelling at people on my behalf.” 

“But doesn’t that piss you off? It pissed me off and he wasn’t even talking about me!” Gavin insisted.

Connor frowned and averted his gaze. 

“His words made me angry, yes. But it doesn’t matter. Our job was to find out if Lanciano had any information that could further the investigation, not to challenge him about being a bigot. I thought a professional approach would be most effective.”

“Professional! That’s bullshit! You don’t have to let people talk to you like that anymore. Not even criminals. He deserved to be yelled at. I’m not sorry.” 

Connor sighed, looking into the room where Hank was now talking to Lanciano. The two of them stood in silence for a few moments before Connor said, “I suppose I should thank you.” 

“What?” His stomach did a funny little flip. 

“I suppose I should thank you. For standing up for me. Not many people would do that, and I appreciate it. So thank you. Even if it did get us kicked from the interrogation.” 

Gavin laughed. “Well, you’re welcome, Barbie. Anytime.” A warm feeling settled over him.

They both stood quietly and watched Hank talk to their suspect. It didn’t look like it was going well. Hank was asking Lanciano the same questions they had, if he recognized Nate and Alicia. Lanciano was just spouting off more anti-android bullshit and there appeared to be no end in sight. Gavin sighed and shook his head. This was going nowhere. 

After an arduous hour, Hank had managed to get out of him that he did indeed recognize the couple, and that he had been at the bar alone that night. Gavin turned to Connor.

“Could you check on his alibi for the Jacobs-Matthew murder? His alibi for the Moore-Alicia murder checks out, but it’s worth looking into at least.” 

Connor nodded and was silent for a moment. 

“He has an alibi. He was out of town visiting family. There’s CCTV and train tickets to prove it.” 

Well, shit. They were out of luck with this suspect then. Gavin turned back to the glass, where Lanciano had begun another tirade about how androids were stealing all the good hard-working American’s jobs. He rapped on the glass, signaling to Hank that they should finish it up. It was nearing the end of his shift anyway. After the interaction with Lanciano, he felt high strung and volatile. He wanted to go home and lay in front of the TV with a cold beer. 

“Thanks for your help with the suspect, Connor.” 

Connor smiled, “You’re very welcome, Detective! And… thank you again, I suppose.” 

“Gavin. You can call me Gavin. And you’re welcome.” 

“Alright then… Gavin. It’s 6’o’clock, so I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, yeah. Have a good night!”

“You as well, Gavin.”

Gavin drove home at least 10 miles per hour above the speed limit. He was antsy. He walked in his front door, danced around Haley, and threw down his keys. He walked to the fridge, grabbed a beer and plopped down on the couch to watch TV. 

After half an hour, he gave up. He couldn’t focus on the screen. He wanted to do something productive. He wished he’d stayed late at the station. His mind hadn’t turned off. Gavin pulled out his tablet and started reviewing the case files. He flipped through the evidence, trying to find something he’d missed before. He didn’t notice how much time had passed until he glanced at the clock and saw it was midnight. 

Gavin sighed. He looked down again at his tablet. Nathaniel and Alicia had been killed after leaving the Bittersweet Lounge. Maybe there was some sort of connection with the bar? Had the other couple ever been to the Lounge? Spurred by his train of thought, Gavin pulled up Sarah Jacobs’ social media pages. Lo and behold, there were numerous pictures of her and Matthew at the Bittersweet Lounge. It appeared that they had been regulars. 

Excited by his discovery, Gavin pulled out his phone and pulled up Connor’s contact. 

**Gavin: hey tin can, guess what**

He got up and went to go make a belated dinner while waiting for Connor’s response. He didn’t have to wait long. 

**Connor: What is it, Gavin?**

**Gavin: sarah jacobs and matthew were regulars at the bittersweet lounge. this means we’ve got a link between the two cases!!**

**Connor: That’s great news. Good work!**

**Gavin: hell yeah**

**Connor: Not to be nosy, but shouldn’t you be asleep by now? You have to be at work by 7:00 am tomorrow.**

**Gavin: pffft who needs sleep, i’ve been working on the case**

**Connor: You do, Gavin. Humans need an average of 8 hours and 10 minutes of sleep to function without detrimental effects.**

**Gavin: oh my godd i always forget u have a literal computer for a brain. but seriously i’m too wired to sleep rn**

**Connor: You should sleep. Work is in 6 hours and 37 minutes and you haven’t gotten any rest yet.**

**Gavin: fiiine. i’ll sleep, if only to get u to quit ur bitchin**

**Connor: Goodnight, Gavin. :)**

**Gavin: night, connor**

**Gavin: :)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr if you want to scream with me about random fandom things @rewild


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